This video explains albedo - the concept that the brightness of the Earth system (atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces) determines how much incoming solar energy is immediately reflected back to space. Reflected shortwave energy and land albedo...(View More) products demonstrate the seasonal and geographic variability of this critical climate process. ClimateBits videos are designed for Science On a Sphere (SOS) and also available on YouTube. Links are provided to more information for this topic from the main ClimateBits website (see related & supplemental links).(View Less)

This brief (1:37) video explains the essential Earth science concept of solar radiation - the source of most energy on Earth. ClimateBits videos are designed for Science On a Sphere (SOS) and also available on YouTube. Links are provided to more...(View More) information for this topic from the main ClimateBits website (see related & supplemental resources).(View Less)

This brief (1:53) video describes the UV (Ultraviolet) index and presents a visual range of its monthly strength at Earth's surface. The factors that influence that range- the sun's angle, ozone thickness, clouds, air pollution, surface reflection,...(View More) and land elevation- are presented. ClimateBits videos are designed for Science On a Sphere (SOS) and also available on YouTube. Links are provided to more information for this topic from the main ClimateBits website (see related & supplemental resources).(View Less)

When New England was hit by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, there was not a satellite monitoring tropical storms that far north; the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) was operating in a band between the 35-degree latitudes. The Global...(View More) Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission will change that. GPM will build upon TRMM's capacity by examining a larger swath of Earth with instruments that are more advanced and more sensitive. This video introduces the GPM satellite, its instruments and their capabilities.(View Less)

Bookmarks featuring the S'COOL project - Student Cloud Observations On-Line - are presented here in both teacher's and student's versions. The teacher's version includes a brief introduction to the CERES satellite instrument on the front, and a...(View More) short description of the role of student cloud observers on the back. The student's version, which is also available in Spanish and French, describes cloud formation on one side and provides a very brief introduction to S'COOL and CERES on the other. S'COOL engages students in making and reporting ground truth observations of clouds then comparing those observations with data from the CERES satellite instrument.(View Less)